Starting Anew
by PlutoSapphire
Summary: Ahsoka has left the Jedi, abandonment and greif still lingering on her soul. But that won't stop her, it never will. Trouble arises and she resolves to rescue her former master from capture by the Separatists. Facing obstacles at every turn, she winds her way through the crazy puzzle that some call life. But she won't have to do it alone. [Updated summary.]
1. I Walk Away

I'm back with another fanfiction to celebrate the release of Ahsoka's novel tomorrow! I can't wait to read it. So, about this fanfic, it's going to be based upon the central ideas displayed at Ahsoka's panel at this year's Star Wars Celebration. I needed closure about what happened between The Clone Wars and Rebels, and now we finally have it. Now I get to paint a picture with words, write a narrative my way. This is going to be great. So just tell me in the comments-what do you think? Should I continue this? Just so you know, this is going to be following the canon, so no Anisoka (sadly...).

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, and I think that's pretty obvious. In the reviews: do you guys think that disclaimers are necessary? Do tell, I'm interested to know what your opinions are.**

* * *

I feel the solid ground beneath my boot. _One more step and it's over. There's no turning back._ I look back up the stairs again, this time I swear to myself will be the last. Anakin is still there- he's pacing with his hands over his eyes. The Force is rippling with emotion; something tells me he's crying. My mas- Anakin never cries. _Anakin. I can't do this to him. Yes, I can, it's for me. Don't be selfish. I'm not!_ My second foot touches the ground. _It's over._

Panic washes over me and I look back again. He's still there, doing the same thing he was doing when I looked back at him last time- crying. He doesn't cry. I feel sick, nausea is permeating through my body and I don't like it. I want to run back up the Temple stairs, back to Anakin. _He's always been there for me. If only he could be here for me now..._ I immediately stop my thoughts and turn away from him, taking another step.

Slowly but surely, I make my way farther from the staircase. There's a tremor in the Force and I turn around-Anakin has his face buried in his hands. His shoulders are shaking slightly. I don't even know what I'm doing-my feet take the path in a saunter, then a walk, then a jog. Before I know it, I'm running. The credits I have in my back pocket are flailing around, making a jingling noise. One foot takes more ground before the other is set down again, more force is exerted as I sprint away from the Temple.

* * *

As I run, my eyes tear up. Even so, a plan starts formulating in my head. _I don't need to stop helping people. But I'll need new lightsabers. Ilum. But I'll need a ship._ I have enough credits for a small one, but it'll only get me so far without enough fuel- which I don't have enough money for. I speed around a corner, then start to slow my pace to a walk. The sun is slowly setting. Before I do anything, I need a place to sleep.

It's perfect timing- there's a hotel right around the corner. I'll admit, it's kind of hard to miss, with all its flashing lights and noticeable architecture. For the first time in what feels like years, a smile graces my lips with its presence. I dig a few credits out of my pocket.

 _Fifty a night,_ it says. I can do that. I put on the calmest face I can muster up and walk inside. There's a small fountain in the corner, a sitting area with red chairs and a holo screen in the corner, and a wood and marble front desk. The room isn't bright but I could see all its features easily. Lamps cast a golden glow about the place, and plants-unnatural on Coruscant-are neatly potted on the desk. A human woman sits there. Her skin is a beautiful cocoa brown and she has a bright smile. She also wears an expensive gold necklace. "May I help you?" She asks.

I walk up to her and ask, "Do you have any available rooms?"

She nods. "Yes, we do. Rooms on floors two, five, and seven are open. Which floor would you prefer?"

"Floor seven, please."

She nods and hands me a clipboard and asks me to sign my name, which I quickly write. _Ahsoka Tano._

"Alright. Fifty credits, please." I hand her the credits in my hand. "Thank you," she says. "Take that lift up to floor seven, then look for room 7C." She points to the lift beside the sitting area.

I nod and thank her wholeheartedly, then walk over to the lift. I press the button and the lift takes me up to floor seven where I find Room 7C next to 7A, 7B being right across the hall from 7A.

* * *

I walk in and turn on the lights. It's a quaint little room with gold lighting like the lobby. There's a dresser in the corner, some shelves on the wall, a queen sized bed, and a holo screen across from it. There's even a mini fridge. Just because I can, I peek inside. There are a few bottles of water in it. _That's nice of them,_ I think. I search around a bit more and come across ration bars-kind of like the ones we have on missions. _I wonder when I'll see the 501st next... I hope Rex isn't hurt by my decision. Maybe-_ I curse myself for thinking about what I left behind.

 _Damn this whole thing._ I head straight to the bathroom for a shower.

I start the water. As soon as it's hot enough, I step inside. I feel the water washing over my skin, cleansing me. The little complimentary bottles of soap sit on a little shelf poking out from the tile wall. I stay in as long as I want.

After about half an hour, I get out, dry off, wrap in a towel, and go back into the main bedroom. I notice the existence of a closet, but I don't have any extra clothes. Just what I wore when I left. So I just throw on my underclothes and sleep in them. I shouldn't worry about tomorrow, but I do. I tell myself not to, but it happens anyway.

 _I wonder what Anakin's doing right now. Maybe Obi-Wan came and shipped him off to bed. Ugh._

Finally my brain shuts up and I can get some rest.

* * *

For three hours, that is. I wake up and glance at the chrono on one of the wall shelves. _0100._ I let out a sigh. Then I feel it. I feel like a panic attack is coming. I can feel my face paling, my heart rate speeding up. This isn't good. I remember what Anakin did to help me through these.

 _The tears are pricking the back of my eyes. I'm only fourteen. Is this normal? Does Master Anakin have these too? I bring my knees up to my chest then wrap my arms around them. I'll just let it pass. Yeah-maybe everything will be okay. I feel sick. I want to cry but all I can do is whimper. My heart rate goes to lightspeed. Maybe if I make myself as small as possible..._

 _My mind goes back to what I saw on the battlefield. They shouldn't have died. They're my friends. Why did I let this happen? The next thing I know, Anakin comes into my room. I look up every so slightly and see the worry in his eyes. I realize that I'm curled up on the couch, hugging my knees to my chest. My cheeks are wet and I'm probably quaking the Force-I forgot to put up my mental shields._

 _He sits down next to me and puts a hand on my back. His hands are warm and I start to slowly release my knees, leaning more towards him. He's comforting. My master pulls me a bit closer, then into an embrace. My heart rate slows to its normal speed. Anakin gently rubs my shoulders. "It's okay, Snips. I'm right here."_

 _I wrap my arms around his torso, resting my head on his chest. His chin rests between my montrals._

I push away the memory. I know I'm going to cry if I don't. But just thinking about it, a sweet reminisce, comforts me. Who knows, maybe I will see him again. Part of me hopes I do, the other part wants to move on. It's split. _What if I do? What would I do?_

I want to move on, but right away, I know it's not going to happen. I can't just _forget_ the place-the very _culture_ -I was raised in. I'll never forget anyone or anything. And the part of me who wants to see Anakin again is grateful for that.

Whatever happens, my mission is still to help people, in or out of the war zone. And I'm going to do that, no matter what. The closure of that promise I've just made to myself calms me enough to sleep. But will there be closure for anyone else?

* * *

Alrighty! That was the first chapter of this story. I hope you enjoyed it! I really don't have anything to blab on about right now, so I guess I'll see you in the next chapter. Pluto out!


	2. You Forget Places But Not People

Hello again! So, judging by the recent success of this story, I've decided to make it top priority as far as my fanfiction writing goes. So recently I've been hooked on The Hunger Games trilogy, which is written in the same tense and perspective as this one, and it's inspired me! I've been brainstorming the last couple of days while reading these books (as of when this is posted, I'll probably be either in the middle of or at the end of Mockingjay) and now it's time to put all my thoughts into a story. Also I'd like to mention that I'm in love with Attack on Titan. Armin is my cinnamon roll and I ship both Eren x Mikasa and Eren x Levi so yeah. I hope you enjoy this! Plus I'm publishing this on my phone so, if there are any mistakes, I'll be sure to fix them later.I'll see you at the ending author's note. Bai fam.

* * *

I wake up with the light streaming through the window of the hotel. I ache so badly, but it's not my muscles. I feel like my chest is throbbing, along with my temple. But why? I don't want to feel like this. There aren't supposed to be any feelings like this anymore - I've left the Jedi. I should feel free, not like this. I glance across the room into the bathroom. My clothes are on the floor from my shower last night. On the wrist of my glove is my comm. I stare at it, wanting to go pick it up so badly. I want to talk to someone - Anakin. I want him here with me, cracking witty jokes and winking, I want his fingers laced through mine like they always were. I want his smile, his perfect blue eyes, and I want his company, his laugh, his feeling - his sensation.

I haven't realized how much I miss him, as if I haven't seen him in years, when, in fact, I saw him yesterday. I left and I didn't even say goodbye.

I bolt for the comm. I throw on my entire outfit and lift my wrist close to my face. I want to talk to him, ask him to come to me. My fingers twitch for the button. Just one button, that's all it takes. But I can't bring myself to do it. I don't dare break it, though. I set it gracefully on the dresser, let it slip out of my fingers like the delicate thing it is - my only means of communication. This is the only way I'll ever talk to Anakin again. It's precious, priceless. Even if I could easily have it replaced as a Jedi, they're harder to get outside of the Jedi life, and that's precisely where I am. I'm an outsider, turned on and let go, but I feel like the latter better describes it than the former. But only because I can forgive.

I brush the thought aside as I head outside of my room for the elevator, not even caring if I look alright. Now that I think about it, there are probably dark circles under my eyes from that restless night I had. Surprisingly, there were no nightmares. But I had been plagued with memories - memories of Anakin. I can't seem to shake the thought of him from my mind, with the tears and the pain. And I could feel it, like he wanted to be open with how he felt. But it didn't hurt me, those feelings. Maybe that's because I'm cold and heartless, but I know for a fact that's not true. Maybe I care too much about my former master, and I don't want to destroy myself with these feelings of guilt that I'd harbor if I were to acknowledge his feelings. I can't take them to the heart, or I'll ultimately destroy myself. I'd drive myself to a depressing destruction, which I've temporarily done beforehand, and no one understood - except for Anakin. The rest of them showed me sympathy, but empathy was Anakin's contribution, and I'm grateful for both, really. I'd gotten my squadron killed and I was devastated. I'd convinced myself it was over, that I wouldn't pull through that time. And, as a bonus, I'd driven myself into a funk, wallowing in my misery. But Anakin had helped pull me out of it.

And no matter how much I want the regret of leaving him off my mind, I know that I'll never forget him. And part of me doesn't want to forget him. The other half I find inhumane. How could I? I know that you forget places, not people. When you're truly devoted to a person, you don't forget them. I may forget what the Jedi Temple looks like, or what Coruscant looks like, say I move away from it. But Anakin will never fade. And that's what confuses me.

I reach the lobby and pay for an extra two nights. I didn't realize how loaded with money I was, but at this rate, I'm going to run out fast. After the extra two nights have been booked, I go to the dining hall, as I've seen on the map. I grab some food and sit down at a table with nobody at it. Even if the room's not crowded, I still feel like there are too many people. I've solemnly resolved to keep to myself by this point, seeing as I seem to break everyone's heart that I know. But one thing still bothers me... What did I do to Barris to deserve what she did to me?

I was a good person! I didn't do anything to her! Why would she frame me? Now I realize one thing: people know my face from the media. There's probably not one person on Coruscant - maybe in the entire galaxy, even if my thoughts try to dissuade me of this - who doesn't know my face. My face as the girl who supposedly murdered Letta Turmond, was forced to be hunted down by her own master, fled the Jedi, and disappeared into the Underworld. The girl who, during her court sentence - which would've been death - was saved at the very last minute by her master, the same one whom had been forced to chase her. I now think of what it'd be like for Anakin if he'd been too late. What it'd be like for him to know I'd been killed, an innocent victim of wrong judgement. And I'm not lying to myself when I confirm that he'd be devastated. I tear up at the thought, but force the feelings aside so I can eat.

It's good food. I relish it; I haven't had anything good like this since before everything went berserk. Then my mind travels to Anakin once more, even if I'm focused on it doing the opposite. And it spites me. The urge to comm him crosses me again, and I don't know if it's a good idea.  
style="font-family: '.SFUIText-Italic'; font-style: italic; font-size: 14pt;""Hey, Anakin, I know I just broke your heart yesterday, but I really need you to come and pull me out of my funk." Yeah, I were him, I'd be a bit upset. But you can't stay upset at me for too long. I stifle a bit of a giggle and this helps me not to feel so negatively anymore.

* * *

I reach my room after my meal, and my hand immediately goes for my comm. I swear to myself that this is against my will, but I feel my mind forcing me into doing it. I click the button, and almost immediately, a feeling of regret flows through me, permeating through my form. But I tell myself to talk.

"Anakin...?" I suck in a breath and I hear his reply, "Ahsoka?"

At this point, I'm about ready to drop everything and cry, turn into a useless puddle of tears and misery. But something puts me against that urge. "Anakin, I need to talk to you. Just... just not at the Temple."

I can feel his lingering pause, as if he's going to regret the words he's going to say. But apparently he's not, because he replies, "I'd be glad to, Snips." I feel like a thousand bright and colorful fireworks have exploded inside my chest, and now I want to cry for joy. I'm still his Snips. "Just tell me where I can find you."

I tell him the place I am, and I know it's not too far away from the Temple. I can almost feel his nod and smile. "I'll see you in a bit, Snips." I cherish the words, but before he disconnects, I say, "Thank you for not being mad at me." As soon as the words slip off my tongue, I wonder whether or not I'm going to regret saying them.

I feel the confusion in his words. "What...?" He stammers. "Why would I be mad at you for making a decision for your own benefit? I care about you too much, Ahsoka, I could never be angry at you for saving yourself." I'm touched by what he said, and I want to cry because I'm overwhelmed. "T-thank you, Anakin." I barely manage to hold everything back. Why the hell do I feel like crying?

"Anytime, Snips. I'll see you soon," he says gently. "Okay, Skyguy." The line disconnects.

Now what? Do I just wait? I know that if I don't release my emotions now, they'll end up coming out when Anakin comes. But I'm so thankful he is. That he didn't turn me down... I start crying now. It starts from the immense joy I feel. I feel like I'm going out of my mind, sobbing and smiling all at the same time. I think of how much I hate myself for what I've done. But maybe it'll do us both some good - help us move on. Or maybe do the opposite. I know it sounds selfish, but I want him near me for the rest of my life. I don't want him to stay with the Jedi. I want my best friend by my side for the rest of my days, as we take on the galaxy together. My tears have just about ceased flowing and I dry my cheeks. Now I need to empty my mind and calm down.

I lay on my bed and wait. Then I sit up and meditate. Waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Where is he? Patience. Breathe in, and out. Chill out. He said he's coming and he never breaks the promises that he makes for me. This relaxes me a bit, and I fall backwards into my back. Laying down is a lot more comfortable than meditating. So I just stay there and drift off.

* * *

I'm broken out of my light slumber by a knock at my door. I bolt upright and rush to it. Before I touch the keypad to unlock it, I take a breather and prepare myself. Mostly because I'm like a bomb on a timer and can burst into tears at any given moment. Then my fingers cross to the keypad, gingerly dancing across its rows of numbers and letters. The door slides open and Anakin is standing outside of it with a small case and a small smile on his lips. Without hesitation I throw my arms around him. He steps back a bit in shock, but then goes to set the case down with one hand, the other having found a place on my back. The case graces the floor next to our feet and the hand that placed it down pulls me closer. I boost myself up onto my tiptoes and bring myself as close to him as I possibly can. Our cheeks brush against each other and Anakin caresses my back lek; I tentatively reach upwards then run my fingers gently through his hair.

"Hey, Snips." We break apart and he holds my shoulders at arms' length. "Hey, Anakin." I can't look him in the eye, though. I still feel like I've hurt him. His fingers gently touch my chin and guide my head to face him.

"Let's go inside, hm?" He says. Anakin's fingers travel from my chin to my cheek and, honestly, I'm surprised - surprised at his gestures. Warm touches were never really his thing, but I guess that's changed. I snap out of my thoughts and nod. I also try to smile, but then he frowns slightly - he knows I'm faking it. I see concern cross his features, but let him take my hand and sit me down on the bed. The door shuts behind us and, instead of questioning my odd behavior, he takes the case and sits it next to him. He opens it and inside there are a few items of clothing that I had at the Temple, but one thing in particular catches my eye-my favorite purple sweater. He takes it out and hands it to me, then motions for me to put it on. A smile immediately breaks over my face. I slip the sweater over my head and put my arms through the sleeves, which almost reach my fingertips. It's big and baggy but warm and comfortable.

"Thank you, Anakin," I say, wrapping my arms around myself. He nods and smiles. A few awkward seconds pass, then he asks, "So what should we do with this time?" I shrug because I honestly don't know. All I know is that I want to spend it together. "We could see what's on the holo," I offer, shrugging again. "It's worth a look," Anakin replies. So we just sit back in the bed and scroll through the channels.

It's comfortable, Anakin and me. I take the liberty of leaning my head on his shoulder because I know he won't mind. I can't help but think, _This is nice. Just the two of us. It's been a while._  
style="font-family: '.SFUIText'; font-size: 14pt;"We find a holodrama and watch it because it's so cheesy we have to laugh.

Before I know it, night creeps up on us and my eyelids grow heavy. I let myself nod off, curling up next to Anakin. We remain close like this, even after I drift to sleep.

* * *

Ah, useless puddles of tears and misery. So I've come up with this thing I'd like to call "Review-My-Reviews Time." This is the first official time I'll be doing it, and so at every ending A/N, I'll be "reviewing" the reviews if there are any. So the first review I got was from a guest who talked briefly about Anisoka. And, honestly, if I could choose over a mansion or Anisoka being canon- SCREW THE MANSION I WANT MY SHIP TO BE CANON. So I guess you get my point. But *hint hint* I'm straying from the canon, so when I post this I'll change the brackets in the description to [Slowly straying from the canon. May feature Anisoka in the future.] So yeah. I don't care, I ship it~ Two words-song parodies. Next review! Okay, so McAwsome said about pacing and clarity. Hopefully you caught my reference to this review in this chapter, but in case you didn't, I mentioned that it was not a nightmare, rather a memory. And it pained her because... *goes to the Fangirl Corner and sobs* Okay I'm back. But I also have my PM's disabled because I'm afraid of weird people PM-ing me because illogical fears... But that's just what GAD is for, right? So please keep advice in the reviews please! Thanks so much, though. I really appreciate the offer. And last but not least-THE BOOK. So I had a great time listening to the first three minutes of the audio book, tried mimicking Ashley's voice, then continued listening again. But bottom line, it. Was. BEAUTIFUL. And I'm not just saying that because I love Ahsoka and she's my little cinnamon roll, and that I love books. But this was like *makes mind blown sigh with hands around head* wapooshhhhhh~ I just realized this A/N is a mile long so I'm gonna go now. Pluto out!


	3. Missing

As much as I want to sleep more, I can't. I'm pulled out of my dreams by the beeping of Anakin's comm link, which is attached to his glove, the hand it belongs to rests on my back lek. I take in my current setting - as this very well may never happen again. I'm curled up with my head resting on my former master's chest, my arms are around his waist, and his encompass me as well.

The comm keeps beeping and Anakin stirs. He's definitely not a light sleeper and I know that for sure. "Morning, sleepy head," I joke, pulling slightly on one of his sandy brown curls.

"Hey, Snips. And what exactly is this?"

I can see the smile tugging at his lips as he observes out half hugging, half laying position.

"I got tired," I banter back. "Also your comm is beeping and has been for, like, three minutes. It's getting kind of annoying." I punch his shoulder playfully.

"Fine," he drawls, then sits up, his mouth to the comm link. "Skywalker here."

"Where in the galaxy have you been for the past twelve hours, Anakin?" That voice, a very puzzled one, belongs to the one and only Obi-Wan Kenobi.

'I bet he'd love to know,' I mouth. God, I love teasing Anakin, whom just smiles at me with a big toothy grin.

"I'm still on Coruscant," Anakin says rather matter-of-factly onto the comm, then just shrugs at me.

"That's quite obvious, Anakin. I mean where on Coruscant? You do realize that I can feel your Force signature a thousand miles away."

"Places."

"Oh, how specific," the older Jedi says through the comm.

"Well if you can feel my whereabouts through the Force, then why are you asking me?"

"Stop evading the question..." Obi-Wan is impatiently prodding Anakin for an answer now, which I find oddly hilarious. Probably because I have to bad blood with the man.

"Fine - I'm with Ahsoka." That's the end of the prodding - Skyguy's finally given up.

"Somehow I knew that," Master Kenobi mutters.

"But why did you continue asking then?"

"Another time, Anakin." The line is almost disconnected when Anakin reaches for the comm button but alas, "We need you back at the Temple, Anakin."

My former master sighs - more like groans - and answers with a simple "Fine," before hanging up the line. He then turns to me and says, "First they hunt down my innocent Padawan like an animal. Then they expel her from the Jedi Order, almost give her a death sentence, then invite her back. She takes the oh-so-holy freedom of leaving and they send me on leave - then immediately ask me back after about forty-eight hours."

I shrug because I honestly don't know what to say. After a moment he sighs again. "Are you - god I feel so guilty saying this - okay with me going back to the Temple? Apparently it's urgent."

I give him a soft smile. "Why would I mind? You have a job to do there."

"Because of what they did to you."

"It doesn't matter; it's all over. You have a duty to protect the galaxy and I'm not going to keep you from it."

"You sure you'll be okay, Snips? I feel bad showing up then having to leave straight away."

"Now how many times have I been on missions without you?"

"Plenty I guess."

"See? I'll be fine - just like always." I watch Anakin's face morph into a look of contemplation, then a sort of smirk.

"Well... fine. But I'm not going to leave you forever. I'll figure something out that'll fit the both of us."

I boost myself up onto my side to face him. "That sounds good. I'll be able to hold out until then."

"As long as you're safe." Anakin smiles at me, which I find comforting. "I'd better go..." He glances at the chrono on the shelf on the wall and gets out of bed. I follow a few seconds later.

Anakin "fixes" his hair - if you can even call it that - and walks to the door. Of course, I mess it up again, ruffling his brown tresses with my fingers.

"I guess this is goodbye for now, Skyguy," I say. I can't really walk him to the door because my current living space is more like an extra-glorified closet. My former master pulls me into a warm, friendly hug. "It won't be long until we see each other again. I promise, Snips." I nod and he rubs my shoulder.

"Bye-bye, Skyguy."

"So long, Snips." He leaves through the door and winks at me before it shuts.

xXx

Of course I'm not hungry so I sit down and ponder what the heck to do with my life. Helping people? Yes. Bounty hunting? No. Going back to the Jedi? Even less likely than becoming a bounty hunter. How does one help people at this day in age? There's law enforcement and Jedi... I hear myself let out a sigh, then decide to go eat anyway. If I don't, I'm going to regret it later. And instead of wasting away my time being bored later, how about a little shopping?

xXx

I find myself in a mall that's about as cheap as you can get while still looking sophisticated. I have enough credits in my pocket to but a few outfits, even more so if they're on clearance.

I find the nearest store and figure I'll take a peek inside. The clearance rack miraculously finds me - not really - and I see how much of a bargain the stuff is. And it actually looks like something I'd willingly wear. A green top catches my eye. I haven't worn anything but brown, red, purple, black, and white in about two or three years. It seems like a lot of colors but it's really not.

Three years... I think of how long I've known my master - my former master as of now. I'm just so adjusted to calling him Anakin. But the thing is, during the last year or so, I've started calling him Anakin more. We were becoming closer and I'm not afraid (or sorry) to admit it. I feel like calling each other by our names rather than our respective titles gives the idea that we're equals, even if we have different positions. Our friendship is special to me; I feel like it will be forever, no matter what happens.

I manage to snap out of my thoughts - I've been getting lost in my mind lately. Not the best thing for me, but I suppose it doesn't really matter. I pick a few more tops off the rack. I only know one thing about what I want to wear: no more skirts or dresses.

The changing room is around the corner. I'm not going to lie - I'm a bit excited. New clothes after years of wearing pretty much the same thing? Yes please!

I save the green top to try on last. The first is a navy blue long-sleeve top that's a bit baggy on the bodice but tight at the sleeves. It's a pretty shirt and all, but the fit isn't that comfortable. The next is a mahogany red, completely sleeveless top that starts an inch below my collarbone and stops at my hips. It even has gold trim at the bottom. Of course, I think this is way too pretty to be crime-fighting in, so I put it on the hook that I've designated for "no." The last top is the green one, which I've come to favor greatly. Once I slip it on, I know I want it. It's comfortable like something I'd prefer to wear. The green compliments my skin, as it's more of an olive green than a forest green. It's made a lot like the current upper half of my dress: a higher neck tank, only without the small cutout near the top of my sternum. This is the style and color I like. It also has singular gray striped going around the sleeve, collar, and bottom hem. Gray will be its compliment then.

I go back and pick up a few more tops that look like this on clearance, then move onto scouting around for a pair of bottoms. I happen to come across a gray pair of leggings with - wouldn't you know it? - green stripes down the outside seam. The boots are too easy. Gray boots up to the knee with more olive green on the laces. I have an entire clearance stash with half my credits remaining. I think I seriously lucked out.

xXx

I arrive home - well, what's temporarily my home - with my boatloads of clothing. I take them out of the bags and use the Force to un attach the tags because I don't have any scissors. I put them in the washer and drier on the second floor and watch until they're done in case some theif decides to go laundry-hunting.

The rest of the day goes on as normal, we, as normal as it can be in an unfamiliar setting. I reach out for Anakin's Force signature before I go to bed. It's faint but I can still feel it. He must've left the planet on a mission.

One day turns into two, two to three then four, then eventually a week. Every night I check and every night it's faint. He's the Chosen One, so this freaks me out.

I lay down on the eighth day, ready to fall asleep. I reach out for Anakin. Now something feels off. I start to talk aloud to myself, contemplating what might've happened.

"Mission? Yes." I nod once as I start to keep track of my stats while I hug the warm gray sheets to my chest. "Days... eight. His Force signature keeps becoming more and more faint. This isn't necessarily bad, but it's not good. Maybe he's just getting further away..."

A couple of minutes pass and I resolve that I need to stop worrying. He's Anakin Skywalker. Yeah, he's impulsive, but he knows what he's doing. And I know one thing - he wouldn't want me worrying about him, let alone losing sleep worrying. He's fine, we're fine. Everything good... I drift to sleep, but this conclusion still isn't good enough for me. But it doesn't keep me awake.

xXx

I turn on the holonews because I don't trust just my judgement alone. The Force may hold the truth, but it can also be a misleading source. A rhodian woman, the news anchor, flickers onto the screen. Apparently it's supposed to rain today, and I only notice the gentle tapping of raindrops on my window when I hear this. But this isn't what I want to hear. I hardly ever leave the hotel room I'm in to go to the lower floors, much less go outside.

I guess I'm just scared. My best friend could be hurt or worse and I can't do anything about it. I know that if I were hurt and alone, Anakin would worry. It used to happen so much... I almost froze to death in the cockpit of a ship carrying medical supplies and clones zombified by Geonosian worms. I could very well have been killed on Trandosia's moon when I was hunted for sport. Not to mention the one time I actually did DIE on Mortis.

Anakin could've died a number of times - too many to count. So many battles, crashes, outnumbered fights, captures... And I worried-

There's a picture of the Jedi Temple up on the screen now. There's a caption: Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker Mission In Action During Latest Separatist Battle.

"I knew it!" I yell, hardly able to restrain myself from whipping something across the room in frustration and making a lot of noise. "I knew it..." I sink down onto my bed and curl in on myself, hugging my knees to my chest.


	4. Song of the Crystals

Only hours after I've resolved not to lose sleep to excessive worrying, I wake up sweaty and overheated. I throw the covers off and turn to sleep on my left side when I hear a sort of singing. It's familiar; I know I've heard it before somewhere. Then it hits me - the Force is trying to lead me somewhere or tell me something. It's the same intuition that kept screaming at me to leave the Jedi. Whatever it wants, my subconscious mind tells me that I should listen to it.

I start to make a plan in my mind since I'll be getting no more sleep tonight. Anakin's been missing for a little over six hours and there's still no word of the Jedi sending out a ship or some rescue mission. He's their Chosen One and they can't afford to lose him. I could probably stage a rescue myself. The only problem is that I don't have my lightsabers... That's it! Lightsabers... I recall the time that my lightsabers were stolen from me in the Underworld; the guy who told me who had taken them just saw that I was a Jedi and didn't ask any questions. If there're two lightsabers that've been stolen, the Underworld people will lead me right to them if I freak them out enough. If you have a cloak, a weapon, and a bad vibe about you, I'll bet they're going to tell you whatever you want. Seeing as I have the Force and can create an artificial atmosphere that feels menacing, whoever I ask will definitely tell me.

As for the transportation to wherever he is, which I can just find from his Force signature, I'll get there the same way that Padmé and I got to the Bonteri's. Just hop aboard a ship and smuggle my way through. Separatist droids happen to be immensely unintelligent anyway. Like Anakin said - they're meant to overwhelm, not necessarily to fight well. And I can use that disadvantage to get my friend out of Seppie hands...

I press the button on the holovision and its bright, blue screen projects from the device that's mounted on the wall across from the bed. I just need to check this quickly before I go rushing about in the Underworld. The first channel I click to is the news reporter, not the Rhodian woman this time, but a human man, announcing the gossip that the Council still hasn't configured a plan yet. Fine - if they're not going to make the first move, I will. I also check the crime reports for the Underworld. I've been in this area before with Master Sinube when an Underworld criminal stole my lightsaber. There's only been, what, fifty murders this week? I click my tongue and make a sound of disgust. Anakin would never let me go down there if I were still his Padawan, but I'm not, and he doesn't have to know yet. And there were lightsabers stolen last month - ones I should be able to find.

I turn off the holovision. I'll need some kind of cloak. I have the sneaking suspicion that just about every Underworld bounty hunter knows my face from the reward that was posted for my return to the Jedi last week. Last week... it's only been that long and look what new situation I've gotten myself into. Rather, one I'm about to get myself into. Not that I care. It's not like I'm going to kill anyone or anything...

The first thing I do is equip myself with everything I need. I should be back in the next few days, so I leave all my freshly bought clothing in the drawers. As for the comm link, I attach it to my glove with a soft click. They don't match the outfit but I don't really care. With that, I'm out the door before I can even start to regret what I'm about to do.

 **xXx**

There's a massive indentation in the planet right in front of me. It's lined with metal and light and platforms coming from all directions and depths. I'm not afraid of it - that's pretty much all I know. I extend my fingers over the opening, breathe in the humid, warm air of the overworld; let the gentle breeze brush across my skin. Skydiving on Coruscant isn't the greatest idea in the world, but it's all I've got right now. I reach out for the missing lightsabers with the Force, I can hear their faint song. It's just darker, like they've been clouded by the Dark Side. The only thing that matters is that I can feel them; that they'll soon be mine. My booted foot is held out over the ledge that leads into darkness. Then I jump.

The wind whistles through my headtails as I plunge into the inky darkness of the Underworld. The air gets cooler and more stale as I fall, inhaling it is out of the ordinary. The Force guards me in a sense, or maybe it's just Anakin's lingering presence that I feel safe with. That's what we do, protect each other. And I know I'm doing this to protect him when nobody else will. The flow and song of the crystals, low and deep, sends chills up my spine. I'm definitely getting close.

I let the currents of air assist me to a landing platform for hover pods. I grab onto the railing, its icy temperature invading my fingers. Swinging up onto the platform, I land in a squat position. Sunlight filters through the dust and pollution above - it's a long way up. From here on, all I can count on are my instincts. I know where there's a metro station down here, so I dash toward it at full speed. I may not have money for a ticket, but I have other ideas.

People look at me questioningly as I stalk through the station, looking for the train that'll take me to the place where the weaponry thieves hang out. At last I see the number, Train 13, Platform B. I don't need a ticket to get on the train, but they'll check for one once I get inside. I'll have to be stealthy if I'm gonna pull this off - I don't have enough money on me to pay off a fine. My feet tromp up the steps casually like I'm not in any hurry at all. On average, according to all the times I've been on a metro line like this one, it takes the guards approximately five minutes to reach the hind car if there's no trouble. But on a day like today, I feel like I'll have a little more time. Someone's got to screw up so I have enough time to hide on the roof of the car while they monitor for tickets. I glance around. Not too many people, but enough to notice me slipping out of the car and disappearing. Not like they'd care, but just in case...

Through the window, I see the conductor in the car before mine. The people are all rummaging through bags and purses and pockets of theirs to get their tickets ready for scanning. With this opportunity at hand, I slip out the door of the car.

Wind roars past me as the metro thunders down the singular railed line, magnetic power keeping the train levitating. I gingerly skirt around the side of the train, out of sight for people looking out of the windows. There's a latter to the roof, which I climb with the help of the Force to keep me steady. My fingers make contact with the cool, gray metal of the roof and I boost myself up with all the strength I can conjure up. The only thing I can do now is hug the roof and try not to be seen or fly straight off of it.

A couple moments before the train arrives at the station, I slip back into the car unnoticed. It's just my luck that as a passenger leaves the train, their cloak still lays on the seat. So what do I do? Pick it up and put it on, of course. I then casually walk out like a totally didn't just break every rule in the metro system. I know exactly where the "shop" is and I can feel the Force pulling me toward the stolen lightsabers. They feel exactly like a living, breathing creature, but different at the same time. The Force must know that I have to do this; that I'll stop at nothing until I can save my friend. My closest companion's life may be at stake and there's no time to waste.

I navigate my way under bridges, through crowded alleyways, and between buildings. At last I find my stop. Sure enough, there are two people there - a man and a woman. The man is on the shorter side, but he's as physically fit as Anakin. He has wild black hair which sticks out from his head in curly tufts, light brown skin, and icy blue eyes. Not to mention the jagged scar that runs down his arm. The woman is tall and curvy, a Twi Lek with green skin, and looks like she could kill me. This should be fun.

I walk up, trying to pretend like I'm part of this little, horrifying crew. "I heard you'd seen, or should I say stolen, two lightsabers." I speak in my most menacing voice, like I'd done when I'd told the Zyggerian queen to stay the kriff away from me.

The woman speaks first, her tone matching mine, maybe a bit darker: "Yeah. Why are ya askin'?"

"Because," I reply, trying to stay mysterious, "I want them." I pull my hood further over my head so it covers my eyes.

"And how do you suppose you're gonna pay fo' that, missy?" The man asks, leaning his arm on the vending stand's metal surface.

I click my tongue and look up at him, trying to act like I know my way around this business. After inspecting my fingernails, which, may I note, have been filed to perfection, I let a smirk permeate my lips. "Let's make a bet." Boy, have I just gotten myself into some deep trouble. Never have I ever betted on anything before.

"What kind of bet?" the woman asks, stepping forward a little bit.

I stare her right in the eye with a glare as cold as I can possibly muster up. "Let's say we have a fight..." I take a few diagonal steps to my right and inspect my fingernails again. "You have your weapons, including the lightsabers, and you two fight against me. If I win, I get the lightsabers fair and square. If I lose, you can kill me - no witnesses."

The man stares at me with a contemplating look. "What's the catch?"

"There is none. I need the weapons and I'm a considerably good fighter; it seems fair."

The woman smirks menacingly and says, "We'll take you. And we'll win. No lightsabers for you, little girl."

"I'm not so young anymore," I reply, recalling the phrase that I tend to use often.

Without a moment's hesitance, the woman lunges at me. The man grabs a blaster and shoots at me, sending three lasers my way. I manage to dodge them and flip over, landing on my feet. The woman latches her fingers onto my shoulders and shoves me onto the ground, her foot on my chest. Before she can push down and suffocate me, my feet kick up and nail her directly in the back, sending her flailing overtop of me, landing roughly. I flip backwards onto my feet and chase after her. The man trails me and shoots at me, almost hitting me. Not much for hand-to-hand combat, I observe, but definitely a good gunner. The woman reaches for the lightsabers she's clipped to her belt and activates them. She swings them threateningly, aiming for my more major extremities. Like my legs - I kinda need those. I manage to drop onto my hand and spin around, knocking both people off their feet. I tackle the woman and grab one of the lightsabers.

The first thing that I notice is that the hilt is curved. It feels unnatural in a way. I'll definitely be constructing new hilts later.

I swing the blade. It just feels so... right. Finally, after days of being lost, I know what I'm doing. The only thing that's off is that the blade is red. That could be easily fixed.

They both look up as I swing the blade, reverse grip as always. The woman activates her half of the two lightsabers as I charge at her with restored confidence that I'd never have imagined to be returned to me.

I use the man's shoulders as a boost, launching myself straight over their heads and adding an extra flip before landing. My cloak settles back over my eyes before I smirk and laugh at them. It starts out soft and then I kick it up a notch to sound more mysterious and crazy. Nothing scares people like crazy. Anakin has taught me well...

"Who the hell are you?!" the man demands of me.

I look up and raise my hand, summoning the Force which whips the second saber into the currently cruel hold of my fingers. I don't let the darkness take me over, though, because this is just an act to scare them. Looking up, I say simply, "What? Aren't you going to kill me?"

The two just stare at me in terror. Oh. The red blades? Maniacal smiling? Use of the Force? Crap. Well now I guess they think I'm some sort of insane Sith or something.

I jump up onto the roof of another building. I press two fingers to my forehead, flick them at them in a salute, and announce loudly, "Thanks for the workout! Oh, and the weapons." I turn and see them staring at me, seeming utterly confused. I can also feel their waves of anger and panic hitting me like a boulder through the Force. Well, honestly, I have cheated them. "Watcha staring at?" I ask simply, then jump over the building, dashing for the nearest port.

Now I'm going to find and rescue my best friend; I'll do it if it kills me.

 **Hey peoples! I really had fun writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to all of you for the amazing support and reviews over the past few updates. *Internet hugs* I know I've been irresponsible and haven't updated for the past two months before the previous chapter, but I have more time and inspiration to write now. Also, yes, I will be adding Anisoka in the future, but it's a surprise!~ I've been brainstorming ways to incorporate it into the plot and listening to a lot of heart melting music (Alan Walker's Faded and Sing Me To Sleep, Christina Perri's Human, and Demons by Imagine Dragons *cries*). I'm dead on the inside. Yep. But I'm back! Thanks, guys - love ya! -Pluto**


	5. Hey

I've been in here for a while - it's getting cold. My breath comes out in short huffs which emit clouds of steam. They don't heat the cargo storage unit in the back of the ship on freighters apparently. Somehow I didn't know this.

I only hopped on a few hours ago and it's freezing. This freighter is heading to a neutral planet which I've forgotten the name of. God, I'm starting to be as forgetful as Anakin. Anakin... I'm doing all this for him. I can't wait to see him again.

I feel warmer now, so I hug my knees to my chest. I should take this opportunity to rest before I take the next supply ship to the Separatist base. I can feel Anakin's presence forever away; hopefully he can feel mine. I drift to sleep in the presence of the same loving glow as I did when I was a Padawan, falling asleep with my head on my master's shoulder.

I'm woken abruptly by a loud thump, then a hiss of the door starting to open. I pull the cloak over my head and get ready to casually walk out into the crowd. The door to the freight compartment is wide open now, and two men walk in, ready to unload the ship. I peek outside, unnoticed, then silently panic as I see that it's night out and there is no crowd. Now what?!

Well, if I run for it, they can't possibly be fast enough to catch me. What's there to lose? It's a neutral planet, I'm covered, they can't catch me. So I make a beeline for the hatch. The two men jump in surprise as I wisp past and one reaches out to grab me. I fall in my hurry and he manages to catch my arm, his grip like steel, and hoists me up onto my feet. That's it, this is it, I'll never see Anakin again.

"Who do we have here?" he asks. I glare at him coldly, trying to pry my arm out of his fist. He won't let go and I don't want to hurt him.

"Silent, huh?" His partner kneels down in front of me. By heart races. I don't like this situation. If they know my face from the advertisements...

I feel two fingers on my chin, turning me to face him. I can't be held up like this now! The Separatist freighter leaves in eight minutes! The man tries to peek under the hood which alone protects my identity. I don't like the way his fingers brush the flesh on my chin. It sends chills up my spine.

Knowing I don't have time to play the distressed, silent, damsel in this situation, I go to pry my arm away. If Anakin were here, he'd probably have this guy in a choke hold right about now. He has this rule that, 'No one touches my Padawan but me.' The fondness of this memory gives me the push I needed to run.

My arm whips out of the grasp of his fingers and I nail him in the stomach with my foot. He doubles over and chokes for air, while the other grape his comm, probably to get help and report the incident. I rush out of the freighter towards the next one on my travel list.

Its doors are wide open, so I jump in and hide in one of the crates. I know for a fact that smaller prisons like the one I'm going to don't scan for lifeforms until they're on the planet, which is easy for me to avoid. At the Citadel it was different - they scanned upon entering orbit because it was such a high security prison.

The droids walk in with their blasters in their hands and look around. They don't even bother to look in the big crate that I'm in. Stupid clankers.

My head peeks up over the rim of the box and I observe the droids walking away as if they've checked everything. Sure... Now I just have to wait it out and try not to starve or run out of air. That should be pretty easy, seeing as there are ration packs in this box. And it's not like I haven't lived in a box before. Well, not lived per say. More like hung around in a box until a bunch of dumb droids waltzed past me and my former master. I'll be fine.

 **xXx**

I'm jolted awake again by the ship landing at the port. I'm here! I just slept the probably boring trip away curled up at the bottom of a box. Now I just have to figure out a plan to get out-

A small gasp slips from my lips as the hatch to the Separatist freighter opens and the sounds of metal on metal footsteps can be heard. I peek over the rim again, lifting the heavy lid with my fingers. I can see the droids clearly, but they can't see me. Maybe I shouldn't have done this, but I'll do whatever it takes to save my friend.

The droids waltz around all willy-nilly looking through crates which doesn't give me the best opportunity to run out of there. I extend my fingers out over the crate and curl my fingers into a fist, crushing the droids then gently moving them out of the way. Their receptors must have stopped relaying their signal to the tower - now they'll know that they aren't in operation any longer. I'll have to get out of here fast.

I clip my lightsabers to my belt and pull the hood over my head, then make a beeline for the hatch.

The sunlight hits my face in a brilliant shine as I step outside and I give my eyes a few seconds to adjust. The first thing to do when in an unfamiliar setting is to observe, not just see, your surroundings. There're several towers surrounding the semi-circle of a platform thatI'm standing on currently. Three towers are in front of me and another two lie behind me. All are equal in height and technology; I guess I'll have to be careful of all of them. The platform is metal like everything else and there are trees surrounding the area. I have no idea what planet this is, but I have a good enough scope of where I am that I'll survive for at least ten minutes. So I scurry over to one of the guard towers and press my back to its warm metal wall. There's a single droid manning the two towers that I see right now, neither of which have looked up from the control panel.

Thinking ahead, the towers will have to be out of operation if anybody's leaving here alive. The ships can be easily hijacked and I could fly back to Coruscant or some Republic world so I don't have to worry about that for now. Taking out all the towers would be pretty easy for me alone because of their guard - or the lack thereof.

Calculating the distance, I make the jump to the first tower. Just as I'm about to cut through the glass on the window, a shot goes through it and hits the droid square in the head. I whip my head around and I see a clone with purple stripes down his armor holding a blaster aimed at the tower. A whole squadron of clones follow this one, whom I assume is the commander. Then I see him and groan in spite of myself. Mace Windu. Well then - far from anything I was expecting.

To ignore or not to ignore? Before I have to deal with him I take out two towers and the clones take out the remaining three towers. The red blade of my lightsaber pierces the window of the tower and I flip inside, taking out the droid at the controls. It tries to reach for its blaster but before it can, I take it out. I do this one more time. Then I realize what they must think that the red blade means. But Windu can probably feel my Force signature. So I jump down sure that they won't shoot.

My feet touch onto the ground and I land in a squat then stand up as regally as I can. I deactivate my blades.

"Former Padawan Tano," he greets, his expression grim as always.

I resist an eye roll, which Anakin probably would've praised had I still been his Padawan. "Hello, Mace." The name sounds weird but I don't really care. "Before you worry about the blades, they're only temporary."

"Really?" It's more of a 'huh' than a question.

So I change the subject. "You here for Anakin?"

"I am, young one." Once again I resist the urge to be a tad rude like scoffing or smirking.

Then I feel a familiar aura coming up behind me. I whip my head around and a smile immediately takes over my facial features. "Rex," I breathe. My feelings aren't just happiness, they're flooded with relief.

"Commander Tano?" The familiar captain takes off his helmet as if to take a better look at me. It's been longer since I've seen him that it has since I left the Order. A good week, I'd say.

I launch myself into his arms. His wrap awkwardly around me and pat my back. "I think I'm just Lady Tano now, Rexter," I murmur into his shoulder.

"Whoever you are, that's fine with me."

I unlace my arms from around his neck. "So where's the rest of the 501st?"

"It's just me, sir- uh, Lady Tano." He motions to the men around him. "I insisted on coming. He is my general - and my friend."

I nod my head. We're all just one big family, the 501st, Anakin and me, and Master Kenobi. Now that one of us is missing, we unite and head to the rescue because that's what family does.

"When you see them again, can you tell me I'll miss them a lot?"

"Of course, Ahsoka."

Mace intervenes, "We should get going, Lady Tano."

So I just follow him and his troops into the facility. At this point we have enough people to do a full on assault on this place, but it seems like he plans on taking a stealth approach. Anakin would just barge right in, blowing studd up along the way, and leave Obi-Wan rolling his eyes and cleaning up his mess. I smile at the thought. But hopefully that's now how this is going to end.

Trekking through the building isn't too easy when you have a grand total of seventy people and narrow hallways filled with those tin head droids. They may be pretty stupid but they know how to overwhelm you. Might as well keep the peace and quiet until we do the breaking out part.

"Where exactly are we going, Mace?" I hiss, keeping my head low.

"We're scouting around until we find him, Tano."

I raise my eyebrow. "I can find him three times faster than scouting around will." When he doesn't reply I trace him in the Force. He still doesn't know we're here - must be the adrenaline keeping him from feeling me. That's gotta be a lot of adrenaline.

My head snaps up. "Floor two near the back."

"You heard her, men, let's go," Mace commands and the crew moves forward.

 **xXx**

I knew right away that we wouldn't reach the second floor without creating a storm of blaster fire and shouted commands. As soon as the doors opened we were greeted by a lovely swarm of clankers. Now here we are, making our way through the floods of droids patrolling the hallways.

I ignite my crimson blades and rush through the crowd, taking out as many droids as I possibly can. Then I see him. He's sitting on the bench with his hands folded and his head down, seemingly ignoring the battle. For a second it's like I forgot how to breathe. Anakin wasn't okay.

Out of nowhere I'm pushed out of the way of an incoming ray blast by Rex. My body hits the ground and I tumble out of the way of another rain of baster fire. "Thanks Rex ol' buddy."

"Anytime, Kid."

But the though of Anakin still lingers on my mind. I have to get to his cell. So I slice my way through the ever shrinking sea of droids and leave Mace and his men to finish off the rest. With the aid of the Force, I crush the control panel to the ray shielded door.

I allow myself to enter, but I do so slowly. "Hey," I whisper.

Anakin looks up and the first thing I notice is that there's a large, bloody gash running down the side of his face, accompanied by a few bruises down his jawline and neck. "Hey, Snips."

 **I AM SO SORRY. I DIDN'T EVEN INTEND FOR THAT TO HAPPEN - I JUST NEEDED SOME FEELS anD i Had tO JeEz i'M so SOrry. And that was me going out of my mind because this chapter needed some deep feels, guys. I don't really have a lot to say about this, other than I'm sorry about the end. With that, I'll start writing the next chapter. Have a nice day, guys!**


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